PEDIATRIC HYPNOSIS: TREATMENT THAT ADDS AND RARELY SUBTRACTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pediatric hypnosis emerged during 1960s and 1970s with pioneers Franz Baumann, Josephine Hilgard, Karen Olness, and Gail Gardner. Forty years later, it’s matured as a separate, distinct field within hypnosis. Informed by childhood development, this treatment approach is child-centred, imaginatively focused, fundamentally optimistic, and inclusive of parent, family, and other systems in children’s lives. Using hypnosis with younger children requires an active, flexible approach. Pediatric hypnosis values creative playful participation in which the clinician sometimes leads and at other times paces with the child’s lead. Pediatric researchers and clinicians have added considerably to the body of hypnosis literature and training. Annual pediatric hypnosis workshops occurred through the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (1987–2009), which the National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute (established 2009) successfully continues. This article sketches the history and philosophical underpinnings of pediatric hypnosis, indicating how it adds therapeutic capacity for practitioners.